NSF Invests $75 Million To Launch Five Cutting-Edge Biofoundries

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a $75 million investment to establish five biofoundries at academic institutions, aiming to accelerate research and expand access to vital resources. Each biofoundry will specialize in different areas of biology and biotechnology, focusing on advancing scientific knowledge and providing essential tools to a broader audience. According to the NSF, these biofoundries will offer free access to advanced technology and knowledge bases, ensuring that innovative ideas have the support they need to thrive.

NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said in a statement, “The new NSF BioFoundries will help democratize access to critical research infrastructure, helping to spur opportunities everywhere so innovation can happen anywhere. Not only will these NSF BioFoundries advance biology, they also will lead to developments in artificial intelligence, data storage, health, climate resilience and more.”

At present, only two government facilities are involved in the kind of work that the new NSF biofoundries will undertake—one under the Department of Energy and the other at the National Institute of Standards and Technology within the Department of Commerce. The establishment of these new biofoundries aligns with the Biden administration's efforts to strengthen the bioeconomy, a priority highlighted in a 2022 executive order.

During a press call on Wednesday, Susan Marqusee, NSF’s assistant director for Biological Sciences and the head of the Biological Sciences Directorate (BIO), shared that their mission is centered on leveraging biology to enhance human life. Although the term "bioeconomy" lacks a precise definition, Marqusee described it as the application of biological science to address societal issues. She also highlighted its rapid expansion, projecting that by 2030, the bioeconomy could generate 1 million jobs in the U.S.—a milestone that's just around the corner.

A biofoundry acts as a testing ground for innovative concepts, explained Sridhar Raghavachari, NSF’s program officer for the Biological Centers, Facilities, and Additional Research Infrastructure Cluster, during the call. Raghavachari said, “Biofoundries provide a way to de facto standardize some of these techniques, technologies, workflows, processes that can then be translated in an industrial scale.”